


Home

by Attibones



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus Bestiality, Bestiality, Brief Gore, Come Marking, Full Moon, Full Shift Werewolves, Knotting, M/M, Reunion Sex, Soulmates, Watersports, possibly kinkier as I write more often
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-22 22:45:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2524469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Attibones/pseuds/Attibones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prisoner of Azkaban compliant. Remus and Sirius are reunited after Sirius escapes prison. I'm hoping this will follow Sirius's recovery from all of the nasties brought about by twelve years in an infamous prison. Explicit for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Map Never Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Wolfstar is my baby. There is so much tragedy in their relationship. This first chapter you won't have to worry much about anything adult. Full moon in the next chapter. Stay tuned.
> 
> P.S. I'm playing around with werewolf forms. In this fic, Remus is less like the movies portrayed him and more like a very large wolf when he's fully shifted. I'm thinking in particular about the way Teen Wolf uses werewolves. During a full shift, Remus would be more like an Alpha werewolf. The days just before a moon when he partially shifts, he's more like the beta wolves, very much partially human and partially wolf.

Peter Pettigrew was dead. Of course he was. Remus had been to the memorial service shortly after James and Lily’s combined service. He was mourning more than any single person in the world that week. Three of his best friends were dead and the man he’d eloped with at sixteen had murdered one of them plus countless other individuals the day that Peter died. The aurors had torn Sirius from Remus without much of a word, without a single look of pity. Remus had screamed at them while Sirius only laughed madly. Twelve years Peter had been dead. Twelve years Lily and James had been buried. Twelve years Sirius had been at the mercy of dementors. Twelve years Remus had hated him, but hadn’t the strength to divorce him. Sirius had betrayed all of them, but Remus’s heart still ached in ways he couldn’t fathom.

Remus’s scarred finger, the same finger Sirius had cut for a blood oath the very night they eloped, traced Peter’s name on the map. The map never lied. If the marauders had been clever enough, they could have made it encompass the whole surrounding area, all of Hogsmeade, the entire Forbidden Forest, the mountains behind the villages, then Remus would see the name he ached to see. _Sirius_ _Black._ There was something stronger and stranger about canid love that kept Remus whispering into the dark. _Sirius._

If Pettigrew was not actually dead, then Sirius had not killed Peter. If Sirius hadn’t killed Peter then maybe he hadn’t been responsible for that terrible slaughter. Maybe he had been laughing because of something he _knew_ but couldn’t tell Remus because there just wasn’t time.

Remus shivered. He hadn’t been able to produce a full patronus since they locked Sirius away. He missed the silvery dog who used to chase Sirius’s spectral wolf. Before he realized it, he was sobbing openly in the cold, empty classroom. The moon would rise, fat and full, tomorrow night. How many more moons would Remus have to suffer alone, without his Mate to make it easier? He could almost shift now if he wasn’t careful. He could dig into those pained bones and make himself more like Greyback who took every ounce of pride in his sickness. He could hide away from the human world and revert to that animal side, the side of him which was bitter and inconsolable these days. He remembered the young boy from the village. If Sirius had been there, if Padfoot had been barking along beside him, nipping at his flanks, flagging his tail to the side so that Moony could mount him and mate him, the wolf would not have taken the child, would not have slaughtered him to soothe the screams in his soul. The dementors had been upon him that night, trailing behind the wolf searching for the man whose soul screamed to be taken.

He had Harry still, but Harry didn’t know about any of this. Harry couldn’t even know that Remus had married the boy’s godfather, the man who had betrayed his parents and caused this whole mess in the first place. It was Sirius who took away Harry’s life, his chances at happiness, at normalcy. It was Sirius who had taken the same things from Remus. And Harry looked just like James. “Except for his eyes,” Remus whispered to nobody. Remus looked out the large window facing the Whomping Willow. He strode to the massive plates of glass and opened without magic and with much struggle the ancient window. He could jump…

Instead he allowed himself to shift just slightly (he really could only control it the night before a moon) and he howled the loneliest howl ever sung. Sorrowful and deep, it echoed across the mountain ridge, through the forest and into the bones of every living creature. A swarm of bats vacated a nearby tree at the sound, but Remus was listening intently—just in case. He howled again, ignoring the wolves who picked up the cue, ignoring the handful of werewolves who haunted the Forbidden Forest, searching for just one other sound.

He thought he heard it from several miles away. Another lonely note hanging in the air. Higher than his own howl, but matched in intensity. Its familiarity rattled Remus to his bones. He howled a third time, this time positive that he could hear Sirius joining in just a second or so after Remus started. He intended to pick up his song for a fourth note when Snape barreled through the door and disrupted his grief.

“Are you _insane_ , Lupin?” Snape hissed at the werewolf who had lost his moment and reverted back into his human form. He’d begun to just tear at the seams of his robes and his muzzle had only just grown an inch or so before Snape interrupted. The more he howled, the more Remus knew he would shift but if Sirius was out there—

He ignored Snape further and dove back towards the map, searching fruitlessly for the only name that mattered to him.

“It’s not even a full moon, yet, Lupin. You are terrifying the students and alerting them to the fact that you are _what you are._ ” Snape sounded disgusted. Remus didn’t care.

“What if he’s out there, Severus?”

The longing in Remus’s voice made Severus want to choke the other man. “Then we will let the dementors take him. He doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

But the wolf inside Remus disagreed. They were the same! Sirius was his Mate, his Soul, the only living thing left that made the wolf happy and safe. Sirius who let the wolf take him several times during the night, who played fearlessly with the wolf, who could scrap with the wolf when the wolf wanted to hunt human and not beast. Sirius had cut open both their fingers that night and promised, under witness by James and Peter, that his soul would always belong to Remus, that they were the same spirit in two bodies, that Padfoot was Moony’s mate, too, and Remus had promised they never would split their souls, that their bond was fiercer than that of a common marriage and so their souls would never be free of each other, that Moony would never harm Padfoot. The oath kept Remus in check even during a full moon. It was one of the only things Remus could remember from his human life as he and Sirius hunted together.

“Lupin, you have to forget any childhood feelings that still linger for him. He wishes only to kill Potter like he killed Pettigrew—“

“No!” Remus roared as he pounced Severus and pinned him against the wall. “Peter’s alive. I know Sirius. He would never hurt Harry, not Harry; all he ever wanted was for us to have a pup of our own and Harry was as close as we ever got. Sirius would never hurt Harry.”

Severus shoved Remus off him. “Peter Pettigrew is dead, Remus. I thought you had accepted that.” And Remus had, until a few hours ago when Harry had shown him the name on the map. He wanted to show Severus, but the potions master had already sulked out of the room. There just was no arguing with werewolves.

That night was a sleepless one for Remus. He paced his bedroom, continuously listening for Sirius to howl back to him, send him an owl, anything. He whimpered as he grew more anxious, more desperate for some sign that Sirius knew how much Remus needed him.

But there was a terrifying alarm through the castle that night. Sirius had snuck into the castle. With all the children distraught, Remus had to know for sure. He had been called to the Great Hall for further instruction, made up some excuse about checking the perimeter, and off he went to check the map. There was Sirius’s name! He was here! He _had_ heard and answered Remus after all.

Remus kept from howling in pleasure and instead bolted through the doors of the castle and tried his hardest to find his mate. He followed Sirius’s name on the map for a long time before it disappeared off the boundaries of the paper. Remus shoved it in his pocket and relied on his wolf nose. It was strongest closer to a moon and with less than twenty-four hours until his next shift, Remus was going to take advantage of it. He prowled the castle grounds half-shifted, quivering in excitement as he followed the trail of musky scent, sickly scent that almost buried the smell Remus knew belonged only to Sirius. Sirius was very ill, very much unlike himself. Remus could smell Sirius’s fear, the fleas, the craze infecting his brain, but also there was that adventure smell, that longing smell, the smell of desperation. He paused at a bush that reeked of Sirius’s piss. This close to a moon, Remus didn’t give a single shit if anyone realized how happy Remus was to bury his nose in the slightly damp leaves, knowing that he was pushing his nose into cooling urine. Remus found smaller pools of the same scent further away from the castle, fresher. Remus knew what Sirius was doing now; he knew that Sirius was leading him away to a safe place, blazing a trail with his mark so heavy with that Padfoot smell. It took Remus another hour before he found the place.

He knew Sirius wasn’t here, but the place was coated in evidence: Sirius had marked heavily the entrance to the cave, and his scat deterred unwanted guests from the other cave opening, bones littered the inside of the cave, a pile of slightly burnt wood rested in the center, and the stolen things made a pile near the fire pit. His nose was overwhelmed with Sirius’s odor—he could even tell that it had been years since Sirius had had a proper bath—and he couldn’t help but fumble with his trousers to piss over a few places and lay his own scent over his mate’s.

But Sirius had led Remus here and then disappeared, to where Remus couldn’t be sure, but he knew that Sirius wanted him to stay in the cave. He allowed his body to shift back from its half-wolf/half-human form to completely Homo sapiens. He gathered up the stolen blankets and towels and rags and buried his nose in them. He understood how badly they smelled, but they still smelled like _him_ and that made it bearable.

Remus waited until the sun rose for Sirius. He did not sleep, but watched the bushes which hid the main cave opening from view of passersby. Perhaps Remus was crazy. Maybe these didn’t smell like Sirius at all, but there could have been some homeless person living here. Maybe time had damaged Remus’s memory of Sirius.

Feeling foolish, Remus sighed heavily and stood up to leave the cave. He resigned himself to walk the fifteen miles back to the castle when he heard a yip, a very familiar yip, and then saw nothing but a black bur barreling into him, tackling him to the ground. Sirius had brought breakfast, a large badger by the looks of it, and had been delayed by bringing it up the mountain. Sirius licked Remus all over and couldn’t help but piss himself from excitement. Remus didn’t care that Sirius had pissed over both of them. The wolf would have perhaps taken it as a display of dominance, but Remus didn’t care at all. He was crying as he gripped the shaggy black dog to his body, feeling every rib and vertebrae poke out from the mangy fur, but Sirius didn’t care. He licked Remus’s face until his cheeks were raw. Finally Remus pushed Sirius off of him and held his doggy face in his hands. Sirius hadn’t stopped whining in joy.

“Sirius, I missed you so much,” Remus gasped. Sirius couldn’t stand it anymore. He transfigured back into his usual state, totally naked, scarred, frail and sickly, and threw himself at Remus again. Remus gathered him up in his arms and buried his face into Sirius’s neck.

“Moony,” he begged. “My Remus.” Twelve years separated the last time they saw each other. Never once had Remus visited Sirius in Azkaban, not once had the werewolf written to him. The bitterness Sirius had held for those facts dissipated as soon as he saw Remus again. Remus, too, could not hold onto his anger any longer and could only revel in the fact that he was holding Sirius again.

“I heard you last night and I wanted to see you, but I had to see him, Moony. Pettigrew—he’s alive, and Harry is so beautiful, Remus, he’s just like—“

“Just like his dad, as much trouble, but, Sirius, you shouldn’t have. Ron Weasley—“

“He saw me, I know, but I had to look at him. Peter was _in the bed with him_ and I tried to get him, but the boy woke and I only got to have a glance at Harry and then no time at all with you, but you still have the map! You found me.”

“Harry had it. He found Peter’s name on the map, and I took it from him. He’s not dead, so you didn’t—“

“I may be a bastard, Remus, but I could never do that, not to my friends, you have to know that!”

“Oh, Sirius,” Remus laughed before he gathered Sirius closer still. “You mangy thing.”

Sirius leaned joyfully into Remus’s arms and then jumped up. “I almost forgot! Was supposed to be dinner, but breakfast will have to do. Are you hungry?” he said as he dragged his kill into the cave. Remus laughed as he pulled out his wand and transfigured a rock into a pan, magically butchered the poor creature, lit a fire and started to cook. He tried to eat raw meat only during a full moon, and it was not quite that time yet.  For now, breakfast with his Sirius and then they would battle the moon together, reunited once again. Sirius was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, this has been my head canon for these two since PoA came out. I'm hoping to do my imagination some justice here. If you feel I've mentioned something which needs tagging, leave a message or write it in the comments and I'm happy to comply. This is also still in the beginning stages of editing, so let me know if you catch something I've missed.


	2. Dog Healer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus gets Sirius cleaned up, and they have a serious discussion about their relationship. Nothing goes the way they want it to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been two years since I posted the first chapter (and I am so sorry), but I'm all ~inspired~ so I'm working on the next one today as well. Again, I'm terribly sorry. This one is a little slow, but I feel like there is a lot that needs to be said, so here it is. Still in the process of editing. Just send me a message or comment if you see any spelling or grammar errors. I won't be offended.

Roasted badger was really not all that terrible, Remus decided as he and Sirius leaned against the cave wall. Sirius was sitting in Remus’s lap and had himself draped around Remus, trying to get as close to him as possible.

“Moony, you stink,” Sirius noted.

“Probably not as badly as you do. At least I smell like your piss. You, on the other hand… You absolutely reek.”

A darkness ghosted over Sirius’s face before he flashed a smirk at Remus and laughed. “I would love a bath. I tried to go to Grimmauld for a quick clean, but dementors are stationed around it. I couldn’t get in without being caught.”

Remus sighed and rested a hand on Sirius’s matted, greasy hair. “There’s a moon tonight.”

“I know. I plan to share it with you.” Remus’s heart swelled with Sirius’s decision.

“Can you Apparate?”

“You know as well as I that I can do it.”

“I mean without anyone finding you.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve got a little cottage where I’ve been living before Dumbledore took me on. My students are at the mercy of Snape today. Come with me. We’ll get cleaned up, have a real bath together, and be back here before the moon.” Sirius nodded, but looked at his temporary home. He’d spent most of his years at Azkaban as Padfoot, so he was far more used to canine life than human.

“You think you could get some flea treatment off Hagrid? They’re murder lately.”

“Of course. I’ll make a quick dash to Hagrid’s and then we’ll be away from here in a tic.”

“I’ll meet you by the lake.”

Together they hiked down the mountains and back towards the school. It took them a good two hours, but the walk was nice and reminded them each of their own school days. Remus remembered to cast a quick cleaning charm over his robes before greeting the huge game keeper who was more than willing to donate a few flea potions for Remus’s battle with the fleas he encountered during a full moon—at least that was the story he gave Hagrid.

It felt good to get off campus for a while, to be with Sirius again. Once they entered the cluttered tiny apartment, the first thing Sirius did was shed his clothes and shift back into Padfoot. He was uncomfortable these days with being a human for long.

“I’ll run us a bath, Sirius,” Remus said with a hint of sadness as he passed the scrawny dog standing dumbly in the kitchen. He heard Sirius sigh and scratch himself before following Remus to the bathroom. Remus was laying out a hair brush, some scissors, the flea potions, and some nail clippers by the time he realized Sirius was watching.

“I’m that bad, huh?” The run-away had shifted again. Remus dug around for a toothbrush as he laughed. “I guess so.”

“Sirius?”

“Hmm?”

“If Peter really is alive, then we can prove to the Ministry that you’re innocent. You can live with me again and we’ll get everything back to normal. We can even bring Harry home with us, move out of this tiny place first, of course, and then we can get a place of our own, just the three of us.”

“Remus.”

“It’ll be just like we always wanted. You, me, our own bed, our own home, our own kid.”

“Remus, it’s—“

“We’ll have to tell Harry about the lycanthropy thing, but it will be okay, and we’ll tell him all about our adventures with his dad and with Peter, and—“

“Remus, no.”

“No?”

“No.”

“No. I don’t understand, Padfoot.”

Sirius sighed again as he leaned on the doorframe. He could hear the desperation in Remus’s voice and he could feel it somewhere in the coldness inside of him, but Sirius knew it wouldn’t ever be like that. “It won’t be the same, and you know it. I’m not the same. You… You aren’t either. I can smell it on you. Something different.”

“But you’re innocent and you’re free and with me you will always be safe. I promised you that when we were sixteen and I will keep that promise until the day I die.”

“I’m not innocent, Remy.”

“But you are. You didn’t kill Peter! The map never lies,” Remus begged. Tears were welling up in his eyes again, but Remus held them back. He didn’t want to cry, not while Sirius was being so _cold._

“I didn’t kill Peter, but I killed James and Lily. I killed James, Remus. He’s dead because of me. And Lily, sweet Lily… I killed them, Remus. It was me.”

“ _No_ ,” Remus said so forcefully that Sirius could see the wolf inside him.

“It was me,” Sirius repeated.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“But if you didn’t kill Peter, then I thought surely you hadn’t betrayed them too.”

“Not on purpose, but it was me. Remus, no, don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.” Remus looked away from Sirius then. After so long apart, it felt wrong for Remus to bolt into Sirius’s arms to peel away his pain. It felt wrong because he had known that it was Sirius who had traded Lily and James for better terms with Voldemort. Remus had known that in his gut, but hearing Sirius say it made the last of Remus’s resolve melt away. “I was scared, Remy. I made Peter their Secret-Keeper. I was afraid someone was following me and getting too close to the truth, so I asked Peter to be Secret-Keeper, and he agreed, and he turned them in, and then _he_ killed them and try to kill Harry and so I went after Peter, Remy, I went after him and when I found him, he knew what could happen so he cut off his finger and vanished and killed all those people first. I laughed because I finally figured out what kind of man he was and then they took me away from you, but it was all my fault. If I had just stayed strong, if I hadn’t done what I did—“

“ _No_ ,” Remus said again. ”No, you turned them in.”

“I asked Peter to take my place.”

“Sirius, why’d you break out then, twelve years later? They’re saying it’s because you want Harry’s head. But I told Severus last night that you wouldn’t—couldn’t—even imagine doing that.”

“I saw Peter in the papers with the Weasleys. And the dementors, Remus, I couldn’t take it any longer. You can’t understand unless you’ve been there. That _rat_ is with the Weasleys, and I couldn’t take it anymore,” Sirius argued, his voice weak with truth and sickness.

Remus stared at Sirius for a long time in silence. “I still don’t understand why you can’t stay with me.”

In his frustration, Sirius looked away from Remus to stare resolutely at the bathroom wall. He couldn’t stay with Remus as much as he wanted to. He knew that even if he brought down Pettigrew, somehow he knew would not receive his freedom. He would have to steal it.

“I will go after him, Remus. I will go after him and I will bring him to Dumbledore. And if they don’t pardon me, I’m going to kill him, and you’ll never see me again,” Sirius decided. “I can’t have a normal life anymore. I’ll go to South America, perhaps. Live in the sunshine.”

“Then I’ll go with you,” Remus demanded firmly. His voice had that alpha-wolf command to it that made Sirius shrink down a bit in submission. Remus got a good look at Sirius who was quiet again. There was no point in arguing, and Sirius was so weak anyway.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Remus helped Sirius out of his worn, baggy robes, and held his husband’s arm as the convict stepped carefully into the warm bath Remus had drawn for him. Remus knelt down beside the tub with a washcloth in one hand and a fresh bar of soap in the other. Hagrid’s flea treatment sat beside him, patiently waiting for use.

Remus started with Sirius’s arm. Gently he scrubbed the soapy cloth over the dirty and scabbed arm. Slowly the grey hue from all the dirt brightened to pink again. As he moved over the arm, the pink lightened back to a pale, sickly color. “You need a veterinarian, Sirius,” Remus chuckled, though there was no humor in his voice.

“What’s a vet’narian,” Sirius asked, puzzled.

“Dog healer.”

Sirius laughed genuinely then. He hardly ever laughed these days.

By the time Remus had scrubbed down most of Sirius’s body, the water was much less clear than when they had started. All that was really left was Sirius’s head. Remus tried to brush through Sirius’s filthy, matted hair, but it was slow going. Chunks of it were coming out with the brush. It was to be expected. Remus suspected Sirius hadn’t had a solid meal since the night before James and Lily were killed. Remus conjured a glass so he could pour water over Sirius’s head to wet the hair. He massaged Sirius’s scalp with the flea potion, and soon Sirius was wrapped in Remus’s fluffiest towel. He convinced Sirius to brush his teeth while Remus found him some fresh robes. They would be too large on him, but they would be clean.

“Sit,” Remus urged Sirius. They were standing in the tiny kitchen in the tiny cottage. Remus was insisting on feeding Sirius. Sirius sat at the old wooden table. The chair creaked underneath him in protest. It wasn’t used to being used. Remus hardly ever used his kitchen.

“Why don’t you live in our flat?” Sirius asked sheepishly. He was afraid of the answer.

Remus had just cracked a few eggs into a frying pan. He furrowed his brows and thought about it before he answered. “Because it was ours, and suddenly you were gone. The night our friends died, that was the last day I ever stepped foot there. I used to walk by it, hoping I’d see you there, hear you singing to something on the radio, or just see you looking out the window, but you were never there. One day, someone else moved in, and I never went back.”

“But it was our place.”

“Yes and there was no longer a “we” because you were a murderer and I was so very alone,” Remus said. Sirius realized there was no note of bitterness. His Remus was alone and sad, but he didn’t speak with malice. “But you aren’t a murderer. I want to be with you. I want us to be “us” again.” Sirius wanted it, too. “I’ll go with you to South America. I don’t care what you say about it. I’ve waited twelve years for you. I’m not going to wait any longer. You’re stuck with me, Black.”

“Lupin,” Sirius corrected with a hint of disappointment. He’d changed his name to spite his parents, but he and Remus had kept that quiet. Remus had forgotten, it seemed.

“Sirius, I—“

“It’s okay. We’ve been apart for twelve years. All you’ve seen from me is in the papers. “Mad Black Escapes Azkaban” or whatever,” he said dejectedly. Remus didn’t love Sirius the same way anymore. Remus was the only thing keeping Sirius alive in Azkaban, but their relationship was very different now.

Remus sighed as he transferred the fried eggs onto a plate with a few sausages and some clementine wedges. Sirius needed the fruit. He urged Sirius to eat while the werewolf made tea. He sat down across from Sirius and wished they could be happy again. “Slow down, or you’ll get a stomach ache. That’s the last thing you need,” Remus chided as Sirius wolfed down his food. Sirius noticed the hint of a smile on Remus’s scarred and worn face. He had not aged gracefully.

“Moon’s soon,” Sirius grunted between bites of sausage. Remus nodded. “We going back to Hogwarts?”

Remus shook his head. Suddenly he felt exhausted. “Finish your breakfast and then let’s just lie down for a bit. We’ll head back in a few hours.” It was about noon, so they had time for a nap before the wolf in Remus appeared. It wasn’t long before Sirius had cleaned his plate and finished his tea. Remus took one of his hands and led him to the only bedroom in the cottage.

The bedroom was scarcely decorated. The bed had an old quilt thrown over it. The bureau had a few of Sirius’s things, things Remus could not stand to toss out like yesterday’s rubbish. The wall had an empty picture frame of Lily and James and baby Harry. They were off visiting other frames, apparently. Remus had an old photograph of him and Sirius and James and Peter in their fourth year taped to the mirror. The four little Marauders liked to stay with Remus when he was at the cottage. They kept him company. Especially fourteen-year-old Sirius. That was the year they had started flirting. The Sirius in the photograph liked to remind him of it.

Remus led real Sirius, ill Sirius back to the bed and got him to lie down. Remus settled behind him with his arms protectively thrown around Sirius’s fragile frame, but it wasn’t long before Sirius shifted, and Remus was left with Padfoot to cuddle. Remus sighed. It couldn’t be helped. The dog form was the only thing that had really kept Sirius from being as tortured by the dementors as he could have been. As much as Sirius liked to imagine that it was the thought of one day reuniting with Remus, it really was the animagus form that saved him.

“Well, at least you’re clean,” Remus mumbled into the loneliness.

He awoke to Padfoot whining at the foot of the bed. His ears were pinned back, and his shaggy head hung low. His tail flicked in agitation. He was watching the photograph of the four teenagers. He growled at Peter’s image, knowing the only thing that would help him was killing the real thing.

“Padfoot,” Remus whispered, “come here, please.” The dog’s ears twitched and reluctantly he returned. He settled down beside Remus and nudged his collarbone with his nose. “Sirius, please.” The dog whined but soon in his place lay Sirius. Remus checked the clock on the side table, but he could tell without looking that they didn’t have long at all before the moon. “We need to go.”

“You haven’t kissed me in twelve years, Remus,” Sirius reminded. He could see the depression in Remus’s eyes and hear it in his own voice.

“Sirius,” Remus started, “I do love you.”

“But?”

“But nothing. I’m glad you’re home.” He kissed Sirius then softly and delicately. He felt the shiver go up Sirius’s body. He was surprised by the force of Sirius’s grip when his hands clutched Remus at his sides. He realized that Sirius had been starved of more than just food. Remus cupped his husband’s face as he continued to thoroughly kiss him, to make up for twelve years of kisses. He vowed to himself that he would never go longer than ten minutes without kissing Sirius again. He did love Sirius. He had missed him, missed kissing him. They were a very damaged couple, but perhaps they could be saved. Sirius was home, and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full moon coming up. Full shift, of course. We're going to get into some heavier stuff next time too. Awooo!


	3. The Unfamiliar Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Sirius share a full moon for the first time in twelve years. Moony doesn't recognize Padfoot at first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: animagus/werewolf sex below this point
> 
> Still editing, let me know if I missed something.

Sirius paced the halls of the Shrieking Shack. He was already in animagus form, waiting for Remus to finish his shift. He’d been banished to the hallway while Remus ripped through his clothes and reshaped his bone and sinew. Sirius paused his pacing at the door and pressed his nose to the crack at the bottom. He sniffed and huffed, smelling something he hadn’t smelled in ages. He scratched at the door frame, almost daring to shift so that he had hands again. Instead, he sat down and barked impatiently. He was answered by a resounding growl. Sirius yipped at the werewolf on the other side of the door, only to yelp loudly when the wolf rammed it down and pieces of the old wood flew at the dog.

Sirius was met with a familiar face. The grey-ish brown fur covering Moony’s face and those haunting almost yellow eyes pierced Sirius in his soul. But there was an unfamiliar anger on the wolf’s muzzle. His lips were curled and his hackles raised in hate. His tail was stiff and high and his growl was uninterrupted. Sirius sank low to the ground and avoided eye contact. His tail hung low and wagged slowly so as not to challenge Moony’s dominance. Slowly Padfoot rolled onto his back to expose his belly. Moony leapt on top of Padfoot and clutched the dog’s throat in his mouth. He bit down to adjust his grip, feeling the vibrations of Padfoot’s whine and yelp beneath Moony’s teeth. He could smell the dog’s piss, too. He released his grip and nosed Padfoot’s belly. He smelled unhealthy. He smelled like Otherness and Moony didn’t like it, but when he inhaled the pungent odor of Padfoot’s urine, when he licked at it, Moony could smell something old and forgotten: Mate. Moony reassessed Padfoot then by sniffing him all over. Padfoot did not dare move. His throat was sore from the bite he had taken, but it could be worse. He remembered worse.

Moony’s nose took in every inch of Padfoot’s dull coat and frail body that it could. This was Mate, but the wolf wasn’t sure how to accept him. Instead, the wolf growled grumpily and stalked down the hall. Padfoot rolled back onto his feet and shook forcefully before following behind the werewolf. He could smell Moony’s hunger.

Moony squeezed through a large hole in a wall that had been made by his younger self one moon when he would not be contained to this cursed shack, but he had done some growing since then, and the hole was almost too small now. Padfoot, still much smaller than Moony’s impressive wolf frame, slipped easily through.

Under the full moon’s heavy gaze, the two stalked away from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts and towards the Forbidden Forest. Along the way, Moony marked a trail, reclaiming old haunts and freshening his territory. Sirius marked too, but cautiously. His tail wagged happily. They were approaching his favorite spot. The lake was shrouded in mist, and the air was pregnant with promise. Bats chattered above them, and spiders clambered away from large paws. As Moony lowered himself to drink from the pond, Padfoot barked and dropped his upper half into a play bow. He bounced from side to side, enticing Moony to play. The wolf lowered his ears and raised his lip in warning. The dog barked again and padded over to his estranged alpha. He rubbed against Moony’s side, nipped his shoulder, and bowed again. Moony faced Padfoot angrily and charged him. Padfoot sprinted ahead, forcing Moony to follow him. The werewolf was much healthier than Padfoot, and faster even when Padfoot was at his finest, so it wasn’t long before Moony had jumped on Padfoot again. The large shaggy dog wiggled from beneath Moony to stand on his hind legs to box at Moony. Their forearms met and Moony shoved Padfoot down. Breathless, Padfoot stayed on his side and panted. Moony growled softly and approached him stiffly. Again Moony smelled all over the weaker dog, the unhealthy dog, the old Mate. This time, though, Moony wasn’t so angry. As Padfoot recovered his breath and the play returned to him, he smelled more familiar. Moony shoved Padfoot with this snout and got the dog on his feet again. Moony went back to the water for another drink, but the dog ran past him and jumped into the cold water. Moony chuffed, took a few steps back, and then followed suit, his large body crashing loudly into the lake. He paddled with his nose held high as he searched for Padfoot. A nip to his own belly told him where the other dog was. Werewolves were not known as lovers of the water, so Moony would not dare to put his head under if he could help it. He swam back to shore followed by a much more invigorated dog. They both shook to free their heavy coats of the water. It was much easier to see now how emaciated Padfoot truly was. Patches of his coat were missing entirely and there was no fat on his body with limited muscle. Padfoot sat back and scratched behind his ear with his left hind leg. The flea treatment had helped but clearly the fuckers were still biting.

Moony sat in the soft loamy earth and watched the drops of water fall from Padfoot’s muzzle. He whined, then yipped as his rear rose and his tail waved. Padfoot answered in kind, and the two chased and danced around the shore. Finally worn out from their play, Moony took another opportunity to mark around the lake, while Padfoot stalked a cricket. As Padfoot pounced, the wolf released a howl, one less lonesome than usual. Padfoot released his prey and joined in the chorus with his own note. They listened to the echo, listening for answers from other packs. Hearing none, Moony started on the evening’s first hunt. When they were teenagers, Padfoot liked to stalk Prongs, and once he nearly squished Wormtail. Sometimes he wished he had.

But on this evening, the last two Marauders were not on a play hunt. They were seeking prey to fuel the night. Padfoot was not fit enough to hunt anymore, but Moony took down a doe fairly easily. They shared her sacrifice happily.

With bellies full and bones to crunch on, Moony was a much happier beast. He was even amenable to Padfoot’s affections. The dog licked Moony’s muzzle and ears and shoulder and huffed contentedly at him. Padfoot wanted something he had not had in a very long time. He wanted Moony.

As Moony sucked the marrow out of the deer’s femur, Padfoot dropped all the way down in front of him and whimpered. His tail wagged in the grass and released bits of dandelion into the air. Moony offered his bone to Padfoot, who licked it obligingly, but quickly went back to his huffing and flirting with the wolf.

Moony stood up and hovered over Padfoot, inhaling his scent around his ears. Perhaps he had smelled so unfamiliar earlier in the evening because Moony’s scent was undetectable on Padfoot. Padfoot belly-crawled from underneath Moony to circle him, rubbing against both sides of him. He stopped in front of Moony and flagged his tail to the left, offering himself to his old Mate. Moony, interested, stepped forward and sniffed Padfoot curiously, inhaling his musk at its most concentrated. Padfoot snorted impatiently while Moony made up his mind. Then, suddenly, Padfoot carried Moony’s weight as the wolf mounted him. He whimpered as teeth gripped his scruff and Moony’s unsheathed prick prodded under Padfoot’s tail. Moony growled when Padfoot’s body jerked slightly at this new intrusion. He bit down harder, tasting the coppery tang of blood on his tongue, and forced his way into Padfoot. Slowly Moony worked the swelling knot at the base of his cock into Padfoot’s willing but unyielding body. Padfoot backed up a little to get himself closer to Moony. He had missed him as Sirius and he missed him as Padfoot. He missed all the parts of Remus imaginable, even the wolf and all his rage. The dog whined as Moony bucked against him. The wolf chuffed as he worked, clutching the dog’s body with his front paws, the dew claws leaving rough scrapes against Padfoot’s sides. Finally the knot was fully swollen inside Padfoot, and Moony could rest. He stayed mounted on Padfoot like that and licked his ears and the back of his neck, but soon he pushed off so they were standing tail-to-tail. Padfoot yelped loudly as Moony moved. The difference in their height meant Moony would pull Padfoot up and slightly off the ground. Their mating was always hard on Padfoot (and on Sirius the morning after), but it was something Padfoot always insisted on. It was something Moony would take anyway, so it was just better this way. It always reaffirmed their bond, too, so even if they’d been arguing, their canid bond could help them heal.

Eventually the wolf and his dog settled down in the grass with Moony twisted a bit so he could settle his head on Padfoot’s bony shoulders. Padfoot turned around to lick at his jowls and his nose, whimpering and wagging his tail just slightly. They fell asleep like that for just a few minutes, but by the time they awoke, Moony was able to separate from Padfoot again. They went back to their kill to chase away any scavengers just for fun, and Padfoot pulled off a tendon to chew while Moony marked the trees with his heavy scent. Padfoot smelled like Mate again. Occasionally Moony would sniff Mate and lick him under his tail, which was difficult. Every time Moony approached, Padfoot’s tail wagged hard and happily.

Their second mating was harder. Padfoot’s weak body collapsed under the weight of Moony when the wolf mounted. He stayed on the ground, panting heavily, as Moony claimed Padfoot again, but it was still difficult for Padfoot to breathe as Moony waited for his knot to release again. Finally free after about twenty minutes, Moony sank down beside Padfoot and delicately licked the dog’s muzzle and ears and neck. Moony raised a gentle howl to the wind, but Padfoot just whined beside him. Moony whimpered as Padfoot fell asleep again, protectively covering him with his large head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm on a roll! Already working on Chapter 4. Feeling super inspired like I'm a Sim or something. Cool beans. Thank you for reading. Please leave comments if you have suggestions for edits or content.


	4. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius recovers from Azkaban slowly but surely. A plan begins to form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just rewatched Prisoner of Azkaban. With my memory refreshed, I am working quickly to jot down everything before I forget anything. Still editing, please, as usual, let me know if you catch a mistake. Hoping to do a chapter a day this week.

Early morning light greeted Sirius and Remus again. Both were still in their animal forms, but the wolf in Remus was much more demure now. He could smell the musky odor of their coupling, but he could smell death on Sirius. There was something terribly wrong with him. The dog’s chest rattled with every breath. In the dewy morning light, Sirius looked sicklier than he had the day before. Mooney watched him for a moment before nudging him with his muzzle. Padfoot rose his head and yawned. His tail thumped three times before his body dragged itself up onto all four feet. He shook the dew off his fur and turned to chew at the base of his tail. Those fleas would be the end of him. Mooney stood then, too, shook, and headed towards the Shrieking Shack again. Padfoot limped behind him. They travelled slowly, but Mooney needed to get back to the shack before his body transformed. It wouldn’t do for him to shift halfway there. He’d be naked and scarred, and anyone would be able to see. Mooney backtracked several times to urge Padfoot to move faster, but Padfoot’s whole body hurt and that last deer kidney was not agreeing with his stomach. Finally they reached the decrepit garden in front of the old shack. Mooney’s body shook with the beginnings of his transformation. He groaned as his back twisted and shrunk and his face took on a new shape. He finished his shift just inside the door. Padfoot was still limping through the yard by the time Remus was himself again, collapsed against the wall, trying to gather his thoughts. Padfoot whined as he came into derelict house and collapsed into Remus’s lap. Their fucking had taken a heavy toll on him indeed.

“Sirius,” Remus croaked.

Padfoot closed his eyes and licked Remus’s thigh.

“Sirius, you’re hurt.” Worry flooded Remus’s voice. “Shift for me.” The dog just whined again. Remus sighed. He stroked Sirius’s back while they both regained their energy. The misty morning had faded into full light by the time Sirius was able to return to his more human shape.

“You need a healer,” Remus stated. Sirius was leaning against the wall now, too. He shook his head. “You’re dying, aren’t you?”

“If the dementors don’t get me first,” Sirius answered.

“No. I won’t let you give up. Not now. Not now that I finally have you back.”

Sirius looked weakly at Remus and leaned against his shoulder. “Lily would know what to do.” And Remus agreed.

Somehow they managed to dress, but they had no idea where to go. They couldn’t very well march into Hogwarts castle to call on Madame Pomfrey. Remus could make a few potions, but that would mean leaving Sirius alone in the Shack. Remus wished he had more friends. For a moment he thought about Hermione. He had a suspicion that she knew about Remus’s condition, but he couldn’t leave a thirteen year old girl with his dying partner. Sirius needed rest more than anything. Rest and a good dose of dewormer. Hagrid.

“I’m going to call on Hagrid again, Sirius. I’m going to help you get upstairs, then I’ll go to his hut. I’ll be back faster than you can say quidditch,” Remus decided as he stood, hauling Sirius up with him.

With Sirius safely tucked into a bed Remus had transfigured out of the old chifforobe in what at one point was a bedroom, Remus headed down to Hagrid’s cozy hut. He was greeted first by Fang, then by the amicable almost-giant.

“Hagrid, could I ask one more favor of you? I do believe I ate something raw last night, and I’m just a little worried about worms,” Remus started.

“Worms, eh? I got somethin’ for ye, Professor Lupin,” Hagrid agreed. He bumbled about the small house for a few minutes as he grabbed a few things for Remus.

“I’m going to be making a few potions today. Would you happen to have any of these things, too? I’ll replace them, of course.”

“Nonsense!” Hagrid took the list from Remus’s hands and, after offering Remus a rock cake, he gathered up all the things Remus requested.

“Oh, no I mustn’t stay for tea, Hagrid, I’ve got a lot to do today. We’ll have a cuppa tomorrow, of course.” Remus waved good-bye to perhaps his only friend in the castle apart from Dumbledore and Harry.

Remus found Sirius where he had left him. “Sirius, I’ve got you some things,” he said. He offered Sirius the stuff for the worms first. If he didn’t have tapeworms it would be a miracle. Sirius swallowed the medicine down like an obedient sick child. “We’re going back to the cottage.”

“But Pettigrew,” Sirius argued.

“Peter will still be here when we return. Do you think you can Apparate with me?” Remus doubted how much Sirius could do. He was very sick, that was clear, but he was also just as stubborn and determined to get his way as he was when he was a teenager. When Sirius nodded, Remus helped him up on his feet. They couldn’t Apparate from the Shrieking Shack. They would have to get further away, which meant Sirius would have to transform. It seemed to take a toll on him too. Remus, though he was weary himself, had to carry the emaciated dog for most of the walk towards the Apparation point. They kept off the main path which made the trip longer, and Remus wasn’t as strong as he used to be. He had to stop several times to catch his breath and rest his arms. It felt like an eternity before Remus was opening the door to his cottage. Sirius had shed his dog skin again and leaned against Remus as they made their way to the bedroom. Sirius groaned. “Stomach,” he mumbled. The medicine was working then. Remus left Sirius to his own devices in the back of the cottage while he pulled out his old potions kit. His cauldron was dusty but intact and his mortar and pestle had seen better days. Still, Remus pressed on, mixing and brewing what he hoped would be a suitable enough concoction to get Sirius better.

It took a few hours, but Remus finished his potions. Three of them were for general health. One was for pain. Remus prepared some toast and fruit for Sirius before bringing everything to the bedroom where Sirius was sleeping fitfully. He was naked again and shivering on top of the quilt. Remus took in the wounds on his body, fresh wounds, wounds he had caused. Sirius lay on his side facing the door so Remus got a good look at this skeletal version of the man he had once loved so terribly. Remus still loved Sirius terribly, but this time things were different. He watched as Sirius took ragged breaths and turned his head slightly in sleep. He muttered words Remus couldn’t quite make out.

The dream was getting worse, looking more like a nightmare every second Remus spied on his sleeping partner. Remus could still smell like the wolf could. He could still smell whatever sickness crawled under Sirius’s skin. He could still smell his own mark on his mate. He could still smell Azkaban on Sirius, even though the man had been gone from that place for a few months.

“Sirius,” Remus called softly as the sleeping man gasped desperately in his dreams. “Sirius.” This time he said it more forcefully and Sirius’s eyes opened. For a moment panic flashed on Sirius’s face. He could only see dementors coming closer to him and sucking his life out of him. “Sirius, it’s just me. It’s just your Remus.” Confusion settled in and then finally clarity. Sirius rolled onto his back as he caught his breath.

“I’ve brought you something to eat. Toast, oranges, banana. Potions.”

Sirius sat up a little on one elbow, the left side of his lips curling slightly into a mockery of a smile. “Thanks. Do you, er, do you remember much of last night?”

Remus shook his head. “We ate a deer, I think. We mated. I think I hurt you,” he said quietly. He was always careful to differentiate between mating and sex. One happened when he wasn’t himself and one hadn’t happened in ages. Both were only meant to happen between him and Sirius, though once, one night when Remus was desperate and angry, he had stumbled across a man in a pub. Remus had felt guilty for years after.

“Yeah. You were angry at me in the beginning.” Sirius tilted his head up to show Remus the swollen part of his neck where Remus had bit him. Sirius chuckled. “I didn’t smell right to you.”

“You still don’t, so have a bite to eat and drink these. I’ve got some chocolate for you, too,” Remus answered. He couldn’t remember a time when Sirius had been so weak, not even when Sirius had taken sick after he and Remus had found some poisoned rats when they were hunting. Sirius had eaten two before Remus could stop him. He, of course, could smell the wrongness on them.

Remus sat down on the bed after setting the tray of vittles and medicine and chocolate in Sirius’s lap. He made sure Sirius ate every bite and drank every drop. His stomach started to roll again, so he left Remus alone for a moment. When he returned, he had a toothbrush in his mouth. He’d forgotten how good it felt to have good oral hygiene.

They spent a few days at the cottage, recovering from the moon and healing Sirius slowly. After a few days it seemed Sirius was no longer battling fleas and lice and worms. He could eat more frequently and he had more energy. Remus never left him the whole time, but he had to get back to Hogwarts soon. He had a job to fulfill and students who needed him.

“I want to see Harry,” Sirius said as he watched Remus magic his belongings into a small bag.

“Sirius, you can’t yet. We still have to work out the details.”

“I watched him play quidditch once. He was great. Just like when we were in school. A seeker, like James was,” Sirius said dreamily. He was happiest when he was reminiscent. Those truly were his only happy memories, when the Marauders weren’t murdered or murderers. “I miss flying, too.”

“When you’re better, we’ll all three have a quidditch match. You, me, and Harry. Of course, he’ll beat us for sure,” Remus promised. Sirius laughed at that. It was good to hear Sirius laughing.

“I don’t want to go back to the cave, Remus.” Sirius was solemn now, and his eyes were glassy with old terrors.

“You aren’t. If you promise not to cause too much trouble, I’m going to sneak you into the castle. You’ll stay in my quarters, and I’ll bring you everything you need. I’m not letting you out of my sight, you old dog,” Remus answered with a soft smile. He was worried when the idea didn’t please Sirius. “Unless that’s not what you want?”

“I just want to be free. I just want our life back.”

Much had been stolen from them, but they weren’t old yet, though they often felt like it.

Together they Apparated just outside of Hogsmeade. Sirius, or rather Padfoot, trailed behind Remus as he walked back to Hogwarts castle, whining unhappily as they passed under the dementors checking for a mad man. Remus pulled out the Marauders’ Map before they stepped foot in the castle. They had to be sure they couldn’t be seen. Snape almost caught them, but Remus shoved Sirius into an empty classroom before the greasy man could catch them.

“Lupin,” Snape greeted curtly.

“Professor Snape,” Remus said in kind. They nodded at each other, and moved on, but Remus quickly backtracked to get Sirius. Padfoot’s hackles were raised in malcontent. “Hush, you. He hasn’t done a thing wrong to me since I’ve been here.” Padfoot huffed but made no other noise.

The first two days of Sirius hiding in the castle were uneventful, but they quickly discovered that Azkaban had imposed claustrophobia onto Sirius. He paced and whined and whimpered in his animagus form as he waited for Remus to return from dinner. He had to get out. He had to run. He had to stretch his legs and dig into the earth and howl with Mooney. Every day he was getting stronger. Every day Remus told him that soon they could slip out and chase each other through the forest. But soon didn’t come quickly enough.

Sirius often followed Remus to class when he knew the Gryffindors would be there. He would watch from his hiding place behind Remus’s desk and watch Harry and his friends practice their skills and learn to defend themselves.

After almost a month of watching and waiting, Sirius had had enough. He had to make his move. He would kill Peter Pettigrew tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow chapter, I apologize. Next one will have more to it. Thank you for all the kudos. They mean a lot to me.


	5. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus finally treats Sirius to some intimacy. Sirius decides it's time for Pettigrew to pay his dues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will see two asterisks towards the end of this chapter. At that point, I have begun writing (mostly taking diction) the scene from the film Prisoner of Azkaban (didn't have time to reread the book, honestly, though this is mostly compliant with the novel, not the film). Of course these are not my words (for the most part), but they do belong to our great queen J K Rowling. Consider the asterisks an abbreviated Works Cited page.

Early morning light filtered into Professor Lupin’s bedroom. Weak sunlight fell onto Sirius Black’s reclining form, his long hair splayed over a pillow, his arm covering his eyes. His breathing was heavy. His heels dug into the mattress. His free hand clutched Remus’s unkempt hair as the werewolf lavished Sirius’s thighs with his tongue and teeth and lips.

The night before Sirius had been invigorated by his plot. He had been relentless the night before, but Remus had insisted they shouldn’t do anything. Sirius was getting stronger daily, but he was still weak and any physical exertion took a major toll on his body. They’d argued about it for a while before Sirius finally resigned and went to bed.

But now Sirius was enjoying the compromise Remus had come to. He left bruising nips along Sirius’s upper thighs and worked slowly towards his husband’s erection. He planted a sweet kiss to the base of the heavy cock waiting for more attention. Sirius whimpered as he felt Remus’s tongue blaze a trail from the kiss up to the head. His whimper hitched into a quiet moan when Remus’s mouth engulfed him, sucking him down, swallowing him whole.

“Remus,” Sirius panted as his hand flexed in Remus’s hair and tugged it slightly. Remus rewarded him with a hearty groan. “Fuck, Remus, Remus, please.” The arm over his face moved to join its brother on Remus’s head. He gasped as he felt a finger enter his body and slowly start to frig him. It had been ages since he had had a moment like this with Remus. Combined with that finger in his ass, Sirius was a goner. He came with a soft cry into Remus’s mouth, moaning happily as Remus swallowed every drop of his partner’s cum.

Sirius chuckled as Remus crept back up to Sirius’s level. They shared a kiss, salty with semen, but Sirius wasn’t quite satisfied. He reached between them to find Remus’s prick and gave it a few tugs. He pulled himself up so he was no longer reclining, but sitting up in the bed. “Come here, Remus,” he whispered. Remus straddled Sirius, resting on his knees rather than sitting on Sirius’s lap so that his erection was offered like a gift to Sirius. “I missed you,” Sirius said to Remus’s large cock. His kissed the dripping head of it and was about to lick up the beads of precum, but Remus had other plans. He took his shaft in his hands and rubbed the head from the corner of Sirius’s mouth and across his cheek. This close to a full moon, Remus had a need to mark Sirius, to claim him again, to cover Sirius in Remus’s scent to satisfy the wolf inside him. Moony liked it when Padfoot smelled like Pack, like Mate.

Sirius turned his head to chase the cock he wanted to taste, but Remus took hold of Sirius’s jaw to force him to stop. “Not so fast, Mr. Lupin,” Remus chided. He was pleased when Sirius’s face lit up. He’d been so upset when Remus had called him Black a few weeks ago. “You wait.” Sirius nodded seriously, his eyes locked with Remus who was oozing confidence and power. Sirius found him irresistible when Remus was like this.

He closed his eyes as Remus teased Sirius’s bottom lip with the head of his cock, laughing as Sirius’s tongue darted out to taste it. As punishment, Remus lightly smacked Sirius’s cheek with it. “What did I tell you?” Remus’s voice was stern but he was sporting a playful smirk.

“To wait?” Sirius asked quietly.

“Good dog,” Remus said. He leaned down and kissed Sirius’s forehead. “Open your mouth.” Sirius obliged willingly, so Remus rewarded him with just the tip of his cock. “Suck.” Sirius didn’t have to be asked twice. Hungrily he worked the head with his tongue and sucked it for just a few seconds before Remus began to tenderly fuck his face, slowly feeding Sirius his thick erection, heavy with need. Sirius held onto Remus’s hips as Remus thrusted into him and pulled out again. He dug his fingers into Remus’s firm ass, trying very hard not to gag. He was very much out of practice, but Remus took his time for Sirius’s sake. He didn’t quicken his pace until Sirius was no longer struggling. Finally, by the time they were both breathing hard and Remus was moaning his gratitude, Remus pulled sharply out of Sirius’s mouth in anticipation of his orgasm. It crashed through Remus; the jets of cum splashed on Sirius’s face whose mouth was still open, hoping to catch any drop. Sirius licked his lips and swallowed the seed that had landed there. His eyes closed again as Remus massaged with a thumb a streak of cum on Sirius’s chin. He dropped down so he was sitting on his heels so he could lick some of his own semen off his lover and then kiss him deeply. Compromises could definitely be enjoyable.

A few hours later, after both of them were cleaned up, Remus had slipped down to his classroom. He’d asked Sirius to stay put, but Sirius was restless. Peter Pettigrew was somewhere on the grounds and Sirius had to kill him. There was no avoiding it.

Sirius still remembered all the old passageways and secret tunnels in the castle. The real trick would be to get to them without being spotted. It was difficult not to notice a large black dog roaming the halls. He snuck out when classes were in session. The halls were relatively empty. He forged a path outside of the ancient castle until he was finally, _finally_ outside. The sun beat on his black coat and warmed him to his bones. He hadn’t been outside since that first moon with Moony. He wanted to roll in the grass, chase rabbits and butterflies, go for a swim in the lake, but he had to focus. He had to find that sodding rat before he managed to escape again. He had been obsessively poring over the Marauders’ Map and he knew that Pettigrew wasn’t in the castle anymore. He had been scurrying around the grounds, Sirius knew that much. He just had to find him.

When Remus had finished classes for the evening, he realized that Sirius was gone. He checked the map. Sirius was wandering at the edge of the forest. Frustrated, Remus pounded his fists against the table he was hovering over. He whirled around and hurried down the corridor, brushing by Professor Snape who had a potion in his hand. Remus paid no mind as the man turned around and began to piece things together.

Sirius had followed a scent to Hagrid’s hut, but he didn’t dare go in, not when it was particularly crowded. He growled. He could smell that rat so clearly that Sirius could almost taste his rodent body in his mouth, his hot blood on his tongue. Sirius was going to kill him as Padfoot, knowing Pettigrew would be too much of a coward to face him as a man. As the Golden Trio left the hut, Sirius followed, growling angrily the whole while. He couldn’t help it. His hackles raised, his tail stiffened and bristled. His ears were pinned low to his head. His lips curled over his long canine teeth.

**“Scabbers!” Ron yelled as the rat bit his fingers. Sirius watched the rat leap down to the ground, only to be grabbed again by the youngest Weasley boy. Sirius barked madly and sprung towards Ron and, more importantly, Pettigrew. He sprinted towards the boy, capturing him by the leg and biting him viciously. He dragged the screaming, terrified child towards the Whomping Willow. He had to get him into a more enclosed space so he couldn’t lose that rat as easily. He heard his godson and the Granger girl screaming after them running as quickly as they could after the large dog and their friend.

Not far behind them was Remus, hot on the trail of Sirius’s scent. He was so close to a moon that he could smell the heavy odor of his own scent on Mate. His nails were lengthened just a little shorter than claws. His clothes were tight on his chest. Sirius was about to do something stupid.

By the time Remus reached them, Sirius was already in his man form with Harry Potter’s wand pressed threateningly against his neck. Remus disarmed the teenager quickly, the wolf inside him outraged that someone would threaten his pack.

Sirius had a half-mad look in his eyes as he stayed on the ground catching his breath. He looked every bit the lunatic _The Daily Prophet_ made him out to be. “Oh, Sirius, looking rather ragged, aren’t we? Finally the flesh reflects the madness within,” Remus said, his own wand pointed at Sirius now to keep him in check.

“You’d know all about the madness within, wouldn’t you, Remus,” Sirius teased. He didn’t take Remus seriously for one second, though he would have been wise to do just that. Despite himself, Remus dropped his wand and grinned, then offered a hand to Sirius to pull him up. They embraced tightly. “I’ve found him,” Sirius laughed. “Let’s kill him!”

Granger, who’d been watching in apparent disgust, interrupted them then. “He’s a werewolf!” she accused.

“You really are the brightest witch of your age—“ Remus started.

“Enough! Come on, let’s kill him!” Sirius screamed, desperate.

“Wait,” Remus commanded.

“I did my waiting. Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!”

The mad look in Sirius’s eyes led Remus to pity. “Very well. Kill him. But wait one more minute. He has the right to know why,” Remus begged. He began to explain the situation about Peter, but they were interrupted again by Severus.

The three adults argued up to the point where Severus began to threaten Sirius with a dementor’s kiss. Harry disarmed him then. Sirius and Remus went back to work. They explained, with only a small amount of shouting, the betrayal of their friend, then together they threw the spell to force that fucking rat to shift.

“My old friends,” Peter sniveled as he fell on Sirius and Remus.

“You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn’t you?” Remus accused.

“What would you have done?” Pettigrew sobbed.

“You should have realized, Peter, that if Voldemort didn’t kill you, then we would, together,” Sirius yelled with Remus by his side. Their wands were readied. The curse was on their lips, but then Harry, naïve Harry, had to stop them in the name of justice.

“We’ll take him to the castle. Then the dementors can have him,” Harry said.** They argued about it further, but eventually they conceded. It would have been the way James wanted it, too. So, despite every instinct within Sirius, he did not exact his revenge. Remus saw the madness within him, the sickness, the hate. This was not the Sirius he knew, but this was still the Sirius he loved. He’d gone to Azkaban innocent and sane and returned murderous and mad.

“Sirius, you and Harry and Hermione help Ron get out of here. Snape and I will handle Peter,” Remus decided. Sirius raised his lip in disgust, but Remus ignored him. He conjured some bonds for Peter’s wrists and watched as Sirius took one side of Ron and held him up, while Harry took the other. Together the two of them helped Ron walk with Hermione following behind them. He heard Sirius apologize for the bad bite he’d inflicted on Ron’s leg as they disappeared down the stairs and through the tunnel.

Once Snape made it to his feet, they worked together—shocking really—and hauled the traitor in the same direction. But once they were outside, the hair on the back of Remus’s neck began to tickle. With Sirius running after Pettigrew, Remus had forgotten the night, even though his body had been giving him signals all day. Hermione noticed it first. She pointed to the just now fully risen moon in the sky, and his body forgot all his humanity. There was only the wolf now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I expect this fic to be wrapped up by the end of the week. Still editing, of course. Let me know if you notice any errors or have suggestions. Please comment to show your support. Thank you.


	6. Mischief Managed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A disastrous full moon, a distraught Sirius, a devastated Remus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end, my sweets. 
> 
> Brief warning for animal slaughter. Remus goes hunting. I tried not to be overly graphic. 
> 
> Still editing. Just let me know if you spot anything. Thank you for your feedback and support.
> 
> And I've finally decided on the title. I was having problems deciding between two options and this is it officially.

“Remus! Remus!” Sirius argued with the werewolf, gripping his body in a futile attempt to prevent Remus from changing. It was a losing battle. He turned back towards Harry and his friends. “Run! Run!” But they were frozen with their fear. No one had even noticed when Pettigrew had slipped away as the rat his personality favored. When he looked back, Remus was the wolf, angry and volatile. Moony threw Sirius backwards, then howled angrily. Snape moved in front of the children to protect them but Moony was fast upon them.

Sirius transformed himself as soon as he landed, as soon as he crawled out of the bush he’d collided with. As Padfoot, he sprinted back towards the wolf and those humans in more peril than even they realized. He barked furiously as Moony rose for an attack on Harry. They collided in a whirlwind of claw and fang, snarling and snapping and tearing at each other like they weren’t Pack.

Moony had an opportunity to hunt warm, living flesh, but Mate was fighting him tooth and nail to keep him away from the children and Snape. They crashed together again, but this time Sirius managed to get a firm grip on Remus’s forearm. He bit down deeply, tasting hot blood in his mouth, but Remus threw him off fairly easily again. He turned on the dog and barreled into him, laying a heavy blow with his paw against Sirius’s jaw. The dog yelped but got back to his feet in time to meet Moony’s next blow. He was more prepared this time, but again he was thrown. Padfoot hit a large rock hard enough to crack a rib or two, but it wasn’t over. Moony was back at him, ready to deliver a fatal bite to Padfoot’s neck. The Potter boy threw a rock which hit the werewolf’s skull, a stupid move really since now the wolf was intent on attacking Potter. Padfoot was too battered and bruised to stand again so he laid in the grass and whined, his eyes closed to the inevitable. He flinched as Moony roared in the boy’s face. The attack never came. A high pitched imitation howl pierced the air. Moony answered with his own call and followed after the impersonating wolf. Padfoot slowly, agonizingly, pulled himself up to his feet, and transformed himself to two legs to better assess the damage done to himself. He stumbled in Remus’s direction, but he collapsed quickly after. He heard his godson calling after him, but he couldn’t see him. He could only make vague shapes, and his vision was much darker than it ought to have been. His world was cold and dark. Sirius knew that he would never see Remus again. This was the end. Remus was going to kill those kids and Sirius was dying. His Remus would be all alone. He didn’t see the dementors above him. He could feel them sucking away at his soul, but he didn’t understand what was happening. He could not feel Harry next to him, losing his soul in very much the same way. He passed out before he could see the brilliant silver stag rushing across the lake to protect him.

Deeper into the forest Moony ran. He was hungry, unmated, and bleeding. He’d been denied by Mate not only their usual coupling but also a feast of teenagers. He growled angrily as he made his way between thick foliage. He caught the scent of a centaur and followed it, drool dripping thickly from his jowls. He found a centaur filly separated from the herd picking the wildflowers that only bloomed under a full moon. She didn’t even have time to scream before Moony was on her. He leapt from his hiding place in the bushes and hit her squarely in the shoulders. He gripped her throat with his jaws and dealt a crushing bite. She was dead instantly. Moony ripped open her guts to feast first on her stomach then a kidney. Her flesh was tender and sweet, her organs revitalizing, her blood hot and fresh.

The meal placated the wolf for a while, but he was still unmated and feeling extraordinarily cruel. He offered a hateful howl to the sky, rewarded only with the chattering of bats and the soft call of a disgruntled owl. He returned to his kill to drag the leggy body back to the lake as a peace offering to his Mate. Mate was gone. Moony abandoned the dead baby centaur to follow Sirius’s scent, but he only smelled death and That Boy, so he lay down sorrowfully. Mate was dead. He whined pitifully in the spot where Sirius must have lost his life. He licked the few drops of blood he found on a blade of grass. He howled again, but his cry was hollow and lonely. There was no answer from the sky. Dementors hovered above him, but they could not attack the werewolf. They could only feel his misery.

Fortunately, or, perhaps more accurately, unfortunately, Sirius was not dead, but death would have been kinder. Madame Pomfrey was healing him in the tower where he would be subjected to the dementor’s kiss. How cruel that he had to be awake for that. How cruel that his soul mate, though they argued often and fiercely, could not be with him.

Sirius sat in the corner of his make-shift cell feeling weak and utterly defeated. For the moment he was completely alone. Dumbledore was missing, Fudge was down the corridor speaking with Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, and several of the governors of the school. Even now they discussed the fate of the werewolf. They acted as if Sirius was already kissed. Of course Fudge and Snape, at the very least, would be with Sirius at the end.

Just when Sirius had accepted his fate, prepared to surrender himself without argument to the dementors, Hermione and Harry dropped in on a hippogriff. The remarkable creature clucked a few times and pawed the stone floor with his talons as the two teenagers dismounted.  
“You two shouldn’t be here,” Sirius said flatly. His face was bloody and swollen. Every breath was agony. He didn’t want Harry especially to be there when the dementors came for him. He didn’t want Harry to see the last link to his father looking so defeated.

Harry furrowed his brows as he took in Sirius’s condition. He looked slightly better than he had when he and Hermione had managed to get Sirius to the castle. It was either bring him to the castle for medical attention, or leave him to die. At least this way, Sirius had a chance. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is Buckbeak. He’s a hippogriff. Bow to him,” Harry said.

Sirius chuckled slightly, even though it pained him, and slowly bowed as much as he could, meaning he mostly just dipped his head and clutched his ribs. The hippogriff thought about it, assessed the wizard’s movements, and dropped his head as he extended one front leg.

“Help me get him up, Hermione,” Harry said to his friend. Together they forced Sirius onto weak and wobbly legs. “He’ll do all the work, Sirius, but we have to get you on his back.”

“You’re just like your dad, Harry. Just leave me be. You shouldn’t be here. Hermione, you can talk some sense in him. My Remus,” Sirius paused to gasp for air, “Remus says you are the brightest witch to ever walk these halls. But you have to leave me here. They’ll be here for me soon.”

“Which is why we have to go,” Hermione pressed.

“Just get on Buckbeak’s back,” Harry insisted. Hermione magicked Sirius out of the shackles around his wrists and together she and Potter helped the broken man settle on the hippogriff’s back. They climbed up behind him and urged the horse hybrid to fly out the window again. They heard the minister curse as they joined the clouds in the midnight sky. The flight gave life to Sirius’s sense of adventure. He smiled and chanced a few laughs as they soared through the air. Soon they settled down in a clearing in the forest so Harry and Hermione could get off.

“Will I see you again?” Harry asked.

Sirius smiled at Harry and set a hand on his shoulder. “I hope so, Harry. I’ll send you letters. I promise I will. I’m going somewhere warm. I hope soon that you can come stay with us like you were supposed to,” he promised.

“Us?” Harry asked.

“Me and Remus. I’ll tell you all about it one day.”

Harry gave Sirius a puzzled look, but he never got an answer. Sirius had urged Buckbeak back into the sky. He flew for hours, barely strong enough to hang onto the bird-horse as he carried the wizard to Remus’s cottage. It was just morning by the time he opened the cottage door. He had left Buckbeak in the garden, knowing he would be content to rest. Sirius couldn’t make it to the bedroom. He collapsed on the worn sofa in front of the fireplace, hoping that Remus would know where to go.

When Remus awoke, he remembered very little about his night time adventure, but one thing stood out clearly. Sirius was dead. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. He didn’t know he was incorrect of course, after all he couldn’t know that dementors smelled like death and the dying smelled like the dead too.

Remus was naked, his clothes ripped to ribbons somewhere by the Shrieking Shack. He wasn’t very far away, but he envied Sirius’s ability to transform at will. For once his wolf coat would have been convenient. But his heart hurt at the jealousy. Sirius was dead. He sobbed and collapsed again. His legs suddenly forgot how to support his weight.

Somehow he gathered himself up enough to walk to the shredded remains of his clothes. He found his wand and Sirius’s in the grass near the pile. Delicately Remus picked up Sirius’s wand. He smiled when it responded to him, vibrating just slightly. Even wands could recognize a bond like his with Sirius. He used his own wand to piece together his clothes and dressed himself. Pulling on a shirt was difficult. His left arm was caked in dried blood and his face had a nasty gash. He remembered bits and pieces of the nasty fight he’d had with Sirius. He’d been the one to kill him. If Sirius had just stayed in the castle, if he had just listened to Remus, they would still be together. Remus looked at Sirius’s wand again. “Mischief managed,” he whispered to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder how centaurs taste.


	7. I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of a truly awful full moon at Hogwarts, Remus resigns. Sirius chooses their new home. Sirius is good at making gin and tonic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the ending. Thank you so much for following. I hope you have all enjoyed this as much as I have. I know this isn't a terribly long work, but I didn't want to keep going and going and eventually run out of steam. I do have a second works in the brain, and possibly a second part to this hatching along as well. 
> 
> As usual, I'm still editing, and I am always grateful for your comments and criticisms. You are all beautiful, wonderful people.

Remus trudged back to the castle feeling incredibly heavy, like he’d strapped three tons of bricks to each leg. His breathing came in desperate gasps, raspy and shaking. His arm was bleeding again. He could feel it soaking his shirt sleeve. Sirius had done that to him, but Remus had done worse. Very close to the castle, Remus couldn’t take the rolling in his stomach anymore. His body ached with what he had done. Every beat of his heart pumped ice into his blood. He vomited onto a patch of daffodils, staining them with the gruesome contents of his stomach. Centaurs did not sit well with him, apparently, at least not their stomachs. He wiped the bloody vomit from his mouth and abandoned the mess he made. He didn’t quite care enough to erase it with magic.

It seemed like hours or seconds had passed before he had entered the castle. Remus wasn’t quite sure which. He was on his way to see Dumbledore. He had to know where they were keeping Sirius’s body. Dumbledore would convince Fudge to let Remus bury him. He would bury him here at Hogwarts where Sirius had always been happiest, out in the Forbidden Forest in their favorite clearing where they had spent many late spring days lying in the grass and watching the clouds, sometimes kissing, usually holding hands. Sirius would like that.

The headmaster was waiting for Remus in his study.

“Professor Lupin,” Dumbledore greeted, “I was expecting you.”

“We need to talk about Sirius,” Remus said with a flat, monotonous voice.

“Ah, yes. I suppose we do.”

“I want to bury him here, in the forest. Fudge has to let me bury him here. He was innocent, you know. Peter Pettigrew was here all this time hiding as Ronald Weasley’s rat of all things. He’s responsible for turning Lily and James in. He killed all those people. He’s the reason they sent _my_ Sirius to _Azkaban_ ,” Remus explained. His voice was gasping and shaking now, the horrors of it all finally sweeping through him. He was truly alone.

Dumbledore gave Remus that same smile he gave to Harry when he had a secret he was about to share. “There will be no need to bury Sirius, Remus. He’s alive, though looking as roughed up as yourself, I expect.”

“No! I—I killed him, Albus. I killed him last night. We fought and he died there by the lake. I could smell it. He was gone by the time I got there but I could smell his death. I murdered my hus—“ Remus couldn’t stand any longer. He sank to the floor and leaned against the leg of a table behind him. “I didn’t take a potion last night, and I killed him.”

“Remus—“

“You should call on Fudge. Tell him to take me to Azkaban instead. I’m a murderer. I killed Sirius. He would never harm anyone and I killed him—“

“Remus!” Dumbledore had to raise his voice to get Remus’s attention. The werewolf looked up at him with tearful eyes and bloodied cheek. “Sirius is not dead. I am pleased to inform you that you have killed no one. Your husband is quite safe. The dementors were upon him last night. Harry said they almost sucked out both their souls but someone cast a Patronus charm to ward them off. He was able to get Sirius to us. Madame Pomfrey was tasked with healing some of his wounds, and our Minister of Magic saw to it that he was bound in one of the towers so the dementors could perform their kiss.” Remus choked on a sob then. This was worse. The dementors kiss was a fate worse than death, and Sirius had faced it alone.

“What happened to him?” He was afraid of the answer he was about to receive.

“It appears he has escaped. I believe that godson of yours and Miss Granger may have had something to do with it. I suspect you will find him waiting for you, wherever home may be. I suspect you will want to go to him,” Dumbledore suggested with a knowing smile and a chuckle. He had quietly enjoyed the whole tale the two teenagers had told him.

“We do need to talk about what happened last night, though, Remus. The whole school, naturally, knows that we have a werewolf on our payroll, and they all know that Sirius Black, as he is known to everyone but a select few,” Dumbledore continued with a wink, “Sirius Black has been on the grounds and has escaped once again. They do not know that he escaped having never murdered anyone, but, never the less, it would be unwise for him to reside here with you while you teach. I will, of course, defend you and your rights to continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, but we must make other housing arrangements for you.”

“I quit.”

“Are you sure? We could renovate the Shrieking Shack for you, perhaps make it more of a Quiet Home. Or there are several lovely homes available in Hogsmeade.”

“I quit. Sirius is alive? I have to be with him. I have to. Fuck it. Thank you, Albus, I have to go now,” Remus said in a rush. Lightheaded as he stood, he had to hold onto a table for support. Sirius was alive. He was alive and presumably safe. Remus nearly bolted out of the study so that he could gather their things. If Sirius was alive, he would be waiting for him in one place: Remus’s cottage. It was the only true safe place left for Sirius.

As Remus shoved things into his bags, Harry came into the room. Remus noticed the look of worry on the boy’s face and smiled, though it did hurt his tattered face. “I’ve looked worse, believe me,” he said.

“You’ve been sacked,” Harry said.

“No, no. I’ve resigned. It seems that somebody let slip the nature of my condition. This time tomorrow the owls will start arriving and parents will not want someone like me teaching their children. I’m used to it by now,” Remus explained.

“None it made any difference.”

“Harry, it made all the difference in the world. Because of you an innocent man is free, and he and I can be together again.”

“What do you mean? Sirius started to explain, but he told me he’d tell me about it later.”

Remus smiled at Harry. “Sirius and I were very close during our time at Hogwarts, closer even than either of us were with your father or mother. He always helped me through the full moons and kept me company and he was a terrible flirt. It seemed inevitable that we would have feelings for each other. We eloped when we were sixteen. It was a terribly stupid decision and irresponsible, but we were happy until, well, until the night your parents died. We were supposed to have custody of you, but that didn’t work out so well either.”

Harry looked confused, like he had many questions he wanted to ask, but he stayed quiet.

“Anyway, as I’m no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt in giving this back to you,” Remus said as he handed over the Marauders’ Map. “You’ll hear from us soon, Harry. For now, I’ve got to go. I am so proud of everything you’ve learned.” He set a hand on Harry’s shoulder and then enchanted his bags to follow him as he left the room, leaving Harry with more questions than answers and a completely dumbfounded expression upon his face.

When Remus made it to the little cottage, he felt a rush of anxiety warm his chest. He wasn’t sure what he would find in the house. He didn’t even know if Sirius would be there. He didn’t see the Hippogriff in the back garden munching away at a mole he had found. Sirius was on the sofa, asleep but alive.

“Sirius,” Remus whispered as he knelt on the floor by Sirius’s head. He kissed his hair, brushed it away from Sirius’s face, and finally, Remus smiled. They were free together.

It only took a few weeks before Sirius was healthy enough to travel. Together they pulled out a map of the Caribbean islands to call their new home. Sirius had closed his eyes, moved his finger around in a spiral, and randomly placed it on the scarcely inhabited Great Dog Island in the British Virgin Islands. Within a few days, they were at home on a sandy beach with mango and lime trees in their yard. It was uninhabited by Muggles, and the wards around the three other reclusive wizarding homes kept them well away. It was perfect for them. They had everything they needed. Sunshine, fresh mangoes picked daily, limes, tequila, rum, plenty of privacy for not so quiet strolls along the beach during a full moon.

Sirius had taken to cooking and mixing drinks the Muggle way. He slept with all the doors and windows open. He spent his days basking in the sun, digging his toes into the sand, spear fishing off the coast. His hair was shining again. His ribs were far less prominent and his skin no longer had a sickly tint to it. The night before the last full moon, Remus had told Sirius as they lay naked in their bed with white sheets that Sirius didn’t smell like sickness anymore. He didn’t smell like Azkaban or a cave or even a dog. He smelled like Sirius again, and that had made both of them happy.

The sun was beginning to set again over the clear ocean waters. Remus had popped over to the main lands for some supplies. He would be home soon. Sirius was waiting for him outside. He had a gin and tonic waiting for Remus on the table, and one (his second) in his hand. He sat on the porch swing, waiting, waiting. It wasn’t but a few more minutes before Remus returned with a canvas bag of fresh fish he’d bought off a Muggle fisherman who had come in with his haul a little too early to prep for the next day and too late for the day’s market. He had a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ in his hands from the one wizarding shop on the island. Remus grinned as he saw Sirius sipping his drink. His skin was tan and his hair, though it had been cut short before they left the cottage, was longer and fuller and messy with the ocean wind. He looked thirteen years younger.

“Harry got our present,” Remus said as way of greeting. “He’s written us his thanks and asks how we are both doing. He’s staying with the Weasley’s for the rest of the summer. He’s going to attend the Quidditch World Cup, too.”

“I want to see him onto the train, Remus,” Sirius said with a smile. He would have loved to go to the World Cup but he wasn’t about to leave the safety of their haven for just anything. “I want to watch him play Quidditch. I want him here.”

Remus sat next to Sirius and pulled him into his arms. He kissed Sirius’s hair, salty with sea water. He’d been swimming evidently. “Soon, love,” he said.

“I made you a drink.” Sirius motioned to the one waiting on the table. He felt the gin in his head swimming around his brain, lifting him up, making him feather-light. “I missed you today.” He kissed Remus’s throat and his jaw, rough though it was with stubble. His own face was no better.

Remus sighed in a throaty manner, almost as though he was growling in his happiness. He turned slightly so he could capture Sirius’s mouth with his own. He smiled against Sirius’s mouth as he felt Sirius open up to step things up. Sirius licked Remus’s bottom lip and nipped the delicate skin with his teeth. He inhaled sharply as Remus reached for Sirius’s hair and gave it a slight tug.

“I missed you,” Sirius repeated against Remus’s mouth.

“Let me get the fish inside.”

“No. Charm them. I want you to make love to me.”

Remus laughed, “Okay, okay, just give me a second.”

“Now, Remus. I need you.” Sirius gave Remus The Look. His eyes were heavily lidded and those gorgeous lips, slightly red from their kiss, turned out into a subtle pout. Sirius set his glass on the table and replaced it with Remus’s hand. He brought it to his groin so Remus could feel his need growing. “I need you.”

Remus recaptured Sirius’s lips. He pressed his hand into Sirius’s erection and groaned into his husband’s mouth. “The fish,” he reminded once he had his tongue back in his own mouth. Sirius smirked and reached for his drink again. He tossed the rest of it back, set it back down again, and pulled off his white t-shirt. He tossed it at Remus and sauntered back into the house. Remus laughed at him, grabbed the market bag and his drink, and followed suit. Once everything was where it needed to be, Remus headed to their bedroom. He found Sirius lying on their bed, naked, his hair tied in a messy tail, his left hand pumping his erection. Of course he had planned for Remus to walk in on him. That was the whole point, to entice him, to arouse him.

Remus smirked as he leaned against the doorframe. “Enjoying yourself?” he asked.

“I’d be having a better time if this was your hand on my cock,” Sirius answered. “I told you earlier. I need you. Get on this bed right now and fuck me. Strip.”

Remus loved how demanding Sirius was now that he was healthier. He loved how he wasn’t afraid to take charge and get what he wanted. He pulled off his own shirt and unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them with his underwear down to the floor. He’d taken his shoes off at the door. He settled himself between Sirius’s spread thighs and pulled him by the legs so they were pressed close to each other. He kissed Sirius’s knee and then leaned down to snog him thoroughly.

“Don’t kiss me. Just fuck me,” Sirius whined as he moved his head out of Remus’s reach.

“You impatient bastard,” Remus accused as he leaned to the left for the lube they kept on the bedside table. His wand was too far out of reach so he had to resort to doing it himself, not like he minded. Fucking Sirius with his fingers was always enjoyable for both of them. As he pushed two fingers into Sirius’s body, his partner released his cock in favor of stroking Remus’s. His other hand gripped Remus at the back of his neck so that they could kiss, even though it was exactly what he had said he didn’t want. He was fickle like that.

Sirius groaned as Remus found his rhythm and worked his fingers into the pliant body below him. His groans were echoed by Remus’s own as he ground his cock into Sirius’s warm, calloused hand.

“Oh, fuck, Merlin,” Sirius muttered as Remus pressed hard into his prostate. “That’s enough. Please, just fuck me already.”

“I thought you wanted me to make love to you,” Remus teased as he continued with his fingers.

“Changed my mind. Fuck you.”

“No, I’ll fuck _you_ ,” Remus countered.

“Shut up and give me your cock.”

With a laugh, Remus bent to kiss Sirius. He pulled his fingers from Sirius’s tight body and held the base of his cock as he pressed the head in. Sirius threw his head back, urging Remus onward with muttered praises. Finally filled, Sirius grinned. Remus took his time adjusting to the body below and around him. He kissed Sirius’s chest, lapped at a nipple, bit his collarbone. He left bruising kisses up his neck and finally claimed Sirius’s mouth as he pulled out and quickly pushed back into Sirius ass. Together they found a rhythm that was all at once hurried, rough, and sweet. Each man grunted and groaned at the other, their names hanging off each other’s lips in drawn out moans.

Sirius reached between them, his breathing fast and irregular, interrupted by the sounds of his pleasure. It had only been very recently that they’d been able to properly fuck. Sirius had been too weak. They had both been too bitter. They still had a lot of learning to do about the other, but for now, Sirius was content to pump his cock and desperately kiss Remus as their orgasms rushed through them separated by only a few seconds.

Remus collapsed beside Sirius and grinned at him. “Feel better?” Sirius nodded sleepily. He turned onto his side to better face Remus and draped an arm over his stomach. “Good.” They shared a much less frantic kiss. They lingered together for a while before Sirius rested his head on Remus’s scarred chest. It wasn’t long before both of them slept peacefully.

Remus awoke to Sirius kissing his chest again. He stroked Sirius’s messy hair. “You need a shower,” he said. “I do too.”

Sirius chuckled as his hand wandered down Remus’s side, down to his hip. “What are you laughing about?”

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” Sirius promised. He planted another kiss and moved down to properly thank Remus for taking such good care of him. Remus smirked as he let his eyes drift closed again. All was well.


End file.
